I saw this movie in Business English class. Our teacher David is from New Zealand, and he said this movie is about the aboriginal people of New Zealand, Maori. He also said that people consider New Zealand as a beautiful country, but this movie reveals something not so beautiful and we might be shocked by this movie. Indeed, we are shocked, by the domestic violence, which is the brutality of uncivilized people and moreover, the love of a mother, which is also the nature of human, or more expansively, the whole live species.
Only the savage people can act as Jake do to his wife, Beth, beating her with no sympathy. In my opinion, the only usage of muscle is a sign of health, an approach to attract women. Brawny man as Jake, fist is his weapon and muscle is what he used to make a live. However, he is always drunk and in those occasions, muscle is the weapon to beat women. It is so wrong! He could have once even punched his little daughter if not stopped by his bros. Holly animals! I doubt the justification to categorize him as a human.
I am not denying that he has shown some kind of love to his family. He works to feed the family, when he is not drunk, he behaves much milder. I think his ancestors are the warriors of tribe. They were strong, intrepid and responsible, and they pursuit honor. However, in modern society, the most powerful weapon is not fist but brain. They must be lost in modernization.
Nevertheless, the Maoris are not the least hopeless because they have spirits, which is derived from ancestors. The tradition helps the Maoris to prepare for the challenge of modernization. Beth, the mother of the family, has such a strong sense of family unison. She has gone through fire and water to prevent her family from splitting apart. Her sons are not easy, and her daughters are reared in a brutal environment. The task for the mother is hard to undertake. The mother love is so strong that she never surrenders to the difficulties of life. For the sake of the children, she finally made the decision to leave her brutal husband. I hope and believe, she could handle the challenges of life by herself with the help of the children, and the children, would have a brighter future than their parents. That is the development of a race, a evolution of mankind, and also reflects the power of spirits, which is the heritage from ancestor and bless us to overcome difficulties.
This movie is too bloody violent and gloomy, but there is still hope there. I don’t remember who has said this: hope and wait is the wisdom of human being, And I would like to add to it the ability of judge and making decisions.
